Dwelling Houses- Building Heights, Storeys and Basements

Information Sheet 3.1

Dwelling houses- Building heights, storeys and basements

This information sheet explains the requirements for new dwelling houses, when approved as complying development. It provides information on the maximum permitted building heights, basement areas and the number of storeys for complying development.

Important note This information sheet is for guidance only and The policy includes a number of exclusions and may not contain all the information relevant to specific requirements for the construction of every property in NSW. Applicants should refer to dwelling houses as complying development. It is the relevant planning controls1 before beginning important to know whether any such exclusions or work, or seek professional advice on how the requirements apply to your land which may restrict planning controls apply to their property. the carrying out of complying development. You should refer to information sheet 1.4 for detail on The majority of the development that can be done exclusions and requirements that apply to different as exempt or complying development in NSW is types of land. identified in the State wide exempt and complying development policy (the policy). View the policy at the Exempt and Complying Development Policy Development standards for dwelling 2 website . houses as complying development Exempt development is minor building work that Under the policy, single and two storey dwelling does not need planning or building approval. houses can be built as complying development, as 3 Information sheet 1.1 provides more information long as they comply with the development about exempt development. standards. Dwelling houses are private residences Complying development is a joint planning and and referred to here as houses. construction approval that can be granted by Before planning begins, you need to determine 4 council or a private certifier. Information sheet 1.2 whether the proposed house meets the following provides more information about complying development standards: development. • a maximum of 2 storeys at any point (including Note: As identified in Information Sheets 1.1 and basements and garages), and 1.2 exempt and complying development cannot be • a maximum 8.5 metre height above ground carried out on certain land. level (existing).

What is the maximum permitted height of development? Complying development The maximum height allowed for a house is 8.5m above the existing ground level: this enables two

1 storey developments on moderately sloping sites https://maps.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/Terms 2 www.planning.nsw.gov.au/exemptandcomplying to be constructed. 3 www.planning.nsw.gov.au/exemptandcomplyingoverview 4 The maximum height allowed for an outbuilding is www.planning.nsw.gov.au/exemptandcomplyingoverview 4.8m above the existing ground level.

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How to calculate building height of a vertical line and placing it through any point of the dwelling house house. This height of a dwelling house is measured from On a sloping site, a house may have a building the existing ground level, which is the ground level form that is “stepped”, with separate storeys of a site at any point, before any earthworks stepping up with the slope of the land. This is (excavation or fill) have taken place. acceptable provided that the line does not pass through three overlapping storeys. As the existing ground level can change across a site, the maximum height limit will also vary with this change in ground level. Refer to figure 1. Basements Figure 1: Calculating the number of storeys in a Basements may be used for storage, a habitable dwelling house area or as a garage. A basement: • has a floor level that is predominantly below existing ground level, and • requires the floor level of the storey above, to be less than 1m above the existing ground level. A basement is classified as a storey and this means the restrictions that apply to the amount of storeys for a house apply to a basement. The floor area of basements is included in the total floor area for all habitable areas (see information sheet 3.35) and the area of the basement is restricted to: • 25m2 for lots not more than 10m wide, or • 45m2 for lots more than 10m wide.

Where a development proposal requires earthworks (such as a swimming pool or water What else do I need to consider? tank), these changes to the ground level do not • Works must comply with the Building Code of result in changes to the existing ground level. This Australia and be installed in accordance with is illustrated in Figure 1. the manufacturer’s specifications. • If you propose to remove or prune any existing How to calculate the number of storeys trees or vegetation, you should contact your council first to make sure you don’t need A storey is the space between a floor level and the approval for this. ceiling or roof above. If your proposal doesn’t meet the required The policy allows for the construction of single and standards for complying development, you may two storey houses – a basement is included in the still be able do the work, but you must get calculation of storeys. Figure 1 indicates how to development approval first. In this case, you measure storeys in dwelling houses for complying should contact your local council to discuss your development. options. You may be aware that other documents such as the Building Code of Australia calculate the number of storeys in a building differently to the 5 www.planning.nsw.gov.au/en- policy. However, under the policy the number of us/buildinginnsw/exemptandcomplyingdevelopment.aspx storeys in a building is determined by taking a

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Further Information

For more information visit the Exempt and 6 Complying Development Policy website or contact the Department’s Exempt and Complying 7 Development Team on 1300 305 695 or by email .

Electronic Housing Code The Electronic Housing Code website helps applicants determine whether the proposed development qualifies as exempt or complying development and the standards that must be met. Applications for complying development can also be lodged and tracked online for those council areas which are using the Electronic Housing Code. Visit the Electronic Housing Code website8 to find out if it is used by your local council or for more details.

6 www.planning.nsw.gov.au/exemptandcomplying 7 [email protected] 8 www.electronichousingcode.com.au/

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